1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for training and improvement of swinging and batting skill and technique using a mechanical aid. More particularly, the invention pertains to a method for application of a mechanical aid to a person's body to teach the person to use proper rotation and extension of a baseball or softball bat or a golf club.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Batter's sometimes lack power and need further development of their swing. All young hitters would like to be able to hit home runs. Unfortunately though, many young hitters believe extension is achieved over the plate, rather than in front of the plate, resulting in a loss of power. To make matters worse, these same young hitters probably work with coaches and instructors who also do not understand that power is achieved by contact in front of the plate. Batters need a method using a mechanical training aid to assist in maintaining consistent form and gaining strength and improved mechanics A method using an aid is needed to teach young hitters in particular to feel the correct swing mechanism and understand and visualize correct swing mechanics.
There are two basic schools of thought when one discusses proper technique in hitting a baseball. One is known as rotational, the other as linear. There are many baseball training devices which propose to increase power. However, all of these devices relate to the linear school of hitting. Some of these aids are equipped to teach by strengthening the front arm, reducing the stride length, or both, rather than improving the strength and rotation of the backside. Ted Williams taught that the hips start the swing when hitting. After many years of trial and error, it has been shown that in fact the foot starts the swing because the foot starts the hip action taught by Ted Williams. Mr. Williams also taught that extension happens in front of the plate, rather than over the plate, with the elbow actually driving towards the pitch and initiating a point of contact in a positive power position.
Batters should extend the bat in front of the home plate, rather than over the plate and have back-side extension on the follow through. Proper extension increases distance and power when hitting. Therefore, a need exists for a method to teach extension, the use of the correct muscles when batting and to increase strength in the lower and upper backside of the batter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,856, issued to Morse, discloses a device for training batters to properly shift weight to the back leg at the beginning of a swing and to shift weight to the front leg during a swing when striking the ball in baseball and similar games. The device includes a first strap for fastening to the leading leg just above the knee and a second strap for fastening to the leading wrist, “leading” being the side towards a pitcher. An elongated member connects the two straps and comprises an elastic portion and an adjustable length portion, which includes a separable buckle so that the elongated member can be separated without removing either strap. In use, straps are placed on the knee and wrist and the adjustable length portion is adjusted to be taut but not stretched with the batter in the “ready” position. At the start of a swing, the hands move back, stretching the elongated member to encourage weight movement to the back leg. When the forward swing and forward stride begin, the elongated member will be stretched forward to encourage weight shift to the forward leg. According to the theory taught by Morse, proper weight shift will provide maximum batting stroke power.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,548, issued to Upshaw, discloses a simplified training device for improving the batting skill of a batter in baseball, has a pair of arm cuffs adapted to encircle the arms of the batter at a location above the elbows thereof, and a pair of elongate flexible tie straps which are coextensive with each other and which extend between and are connected to the arm cuffs. The device is so constituted that the tie straps can be easily adjusted as to their effective lengths. When the tie straps are taut, they positively limit the maximum space between the arm cuffs at the time that the batter's arms are raised, retracted position. The straps are flexible and capable of collapsing movement to enable the arm cuffs to approach each other as the batter's arms are swung from the raised, retracted position toward the extended, ball-striking position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,184 issued to Gray, disclosed an apparatus for building muscle memory to develop a more rapid baseball swing and avoid casting of the hands and bat during the swing. Such apparatus includes a first attachment member connectable to an upper arm and a second attachment member connectable to an opposing forearm interposed by an elongated tether to be aligned along a forearm upon initially entering into a hitter's stance. A method for using such apparatus is also disclosed.
While each of the above devices disclose resistance training aids, these aids do not teach a method to improve the skill of proper extension of a batter in front of the plate before striking a baseball. Previous aids are taught to attach to both arms of the user or to the front arm or front leg of the user. The attachment of mechanical aids to the front arm or front leg does not reinforce and teach proper forward extension and body rotation. Instead, the attachment of a mechanical aid to the front arm causes resistance and extension to be felt and observed during the take-back step of the swing and may assist with weight shift but not with teaching proper extension during rotation. The resistance of the aid when attached to the front arm or leg will collapse during the swing, thereby failing to train for power and reinforce the feeling of proper extension at the correct point of a swing.
Thus, a need exists for a method that a baseball player can use to teach himself or herself to have proper extension in front of a plate while batting and to have proper rotation. A further need exists for that same method to be used during warm-up and core strength training to continue reinforcement and improvement of the swings of baseball players. Yet a further need exists for a method that teaches proper rotation and extension to softball players.